Fascia Rollers
The fascia roller has been conquering the fitness and sports industry in Germany for several years now. When used regularly and mindfully, it helps to restore suppleness to agglutinated connective tissue and is therefore a much-praised and effective aid against painful muscle stiffness and tension. Simply integrate fascia rolls into your training programme from now on to prevent or alleviate existing complaints!
Here we tell you everything you need to know about the fitness roller and fascia training.
What you can do with a fascia roller
The popular massage rollers enable you to train your fasciae in a very targeted way. Fasciae run through the entire human body and surround not only tendons and nerves but also bones and organs. They are also known colloquially as connective tissue. To loosen your fasciae or prevent adhesions, you can use the roller for almost all parts of the body. Using the massage roller is very easy and the exercises can be done anywhere. You only need a fascia roller that is adapted to your personal needs and optionally a training mat. You train the respective body parts with the roller by intensively rolling up and down on it. This causes a feeling of pressure, which is the first indicator of a positive effect. This feeling of pressure can also correspond to a slight to moderate pain, which, however, only indicates that this area in particular needs particularly intensive treatment. But be careful: If the training becomes too painful, then the roller is probably too hard and should be replaced with a softer one or you can relieve the pressure on the roller with a slight support from the body.
How useful are fascia rollers?
Some consider them a trend, but fascia rollers are much more than that. They promote health by effectively releasing tension, increasing mobility and even strengthening muscles at the same time. Fascia training once to three times a week for 5 to 10 minutes already has a positive effect and can also lead to a reduction in cellulite. As with so many things, the be-all and end-all of fascia training is continuity. If you decide to do fascia training and practise it regularly, you will quickly get positive results. However, those who experience massive discomfort or pain should seek additional advice from a specialist to find out what the main causes of the discomfort are.
Another word on the usefulness of using massage rollers. Stress and lack of exercise are the order of the day for many people nowadays. But what many do not know: In the long run, this lifestyle leads to the connective tissue becoming weaker and weaker and eventually sticking together. The consequences can take the form of tendonitis, joint pain, back pain, shoulder pain or even abdominal pain. Until the cause of the complaints is found, a lot of time often passes during which the pain gets worse and worse. Fascia training prevents this pain and treats tissue that is already stuck together.
What are the differences between fascia rollers?
Fascia rollers are available in different degrees of hardness. This is necessary because not all connective tissue is equally strong. In addition, every person has an individual sensitivity to pain. The right fascia roller from Blackroll® or other manufacturers is therefore selected according to personal requirements. Beginners are usually well served with the hardness level "soft" or "medium". These fascia rollers are often used for yoga or Pilates. Hard fascia rollers, on the other hand, are the right choice for athletes and competitive athletes. They are about 50% harder than the medium version. The better trained you are, the harder the fascia roller can be.
Another distinguishing feature is the surface. Smooth surfaces are the standard and already enable a very intensive workout. Ribbed surfaces even intensify the effect and have a particularly activating effect. As a beginner, you are well served with a smooth surface at first.
Last but not least, you can even choose between different shapes when selecting your fascia roller. While body parts such as the back, hips or thighs are best treated with the standard roller, the mini fascia roller is suitable for the neck, arms or feet. A selective massage of specific parts of the body, on the other hand, is possible with the fascia ball.
What are the advantages of fascia rollers?
The popular fitness roller has all kinds of advantages that benefit you as an athletic and health-conscious person:
- Easy to use, even without prior knowledge
- Perfect for self-massage
- Quick results due to direct strain on the connective tissue
- Improved mobility due to loosened muscles and fasciae
- Less pain, as tense muscles and stiff joints become more supple again with the help of the fascia roller
- Improved hydration, as stimulated fasciae are more elastic than glued and dried fasciae. This condition ensures an optimised water supply.
- Faster muscle recovery after hard training
- Improved blood circulation, which has the pleasant side effect of tightening the connective tissue and reducing problems with cellulite
- Improved posture through balance exercises during training
- Positive contribution to personal fitness and performance
- Due to its compact size and low weight, the fascia roller can be taken and used everywhere.
Exercises with the fascia roller
The fascia roller is the perfect addition to any sports program. It only takes a few minutes a week to achieve a significantly improved all-around fitness. We tell you how the exercises with the massage roller work.
For the knees
Tight fascia can definitely be responsible for knee pain. You can loosen these fasciae by moving the front of your thigh up and down on the fascia roller. Roll from the back of your knee to your butt and back again. You then repeat the same on the back of your thigh.
For the neck
Stand against a wall and place the Blackroll® in the neck area. Now apply pressure to the roll with your neck and slowly move your head from left to right and back again.
For the shoulder
Stand against the wall and place the fascia roller slightly below your shoulder height. Apply pressure to the roller with your shoulder and now slowly bend your knees and slowly go up again.
For the sole of the foot
For this exercise, a small fascia roller or a Blackroll® ball are best suited. Place the sole of your right foot on the roller or ball. Now place your body weight in the foot and move it from the heel to the toes and back over the roller or ball. Then switch to the sole of your left foot.
For the back
Lie on a mat on the floor and place the fascia roller under your back. Now roll with the weight of your body up and down over the roller. Keep in mind that the areas which hurt most require intensive treatment. So don't be afraid to work these areas in particular, even if it can be a little uncomfortable at first.
For the hip
Problems in the hips can be fueled by sitting in the office for long periods of time. To massage the fascia in this area of the body, you should sit with your buttocks on the fascia roller. Now place the leg of the side you want to train over the other thigh and slowly roll up and down. Then repeat the whole thing with the other side.
For the calf
Sit on an exercise mat and place your left leg on the roller while positioning your right leg. Support yourself with your hands next to your buttocks. Raise your buttocks and slowly move your calf over the roller. The more you rotate your leg during the movement, the better the effect on the entire calf. Then repeat the exercise with your right calf.
Buy fascia rollers at K-Active
In the large online shop of K-Active you will find everything you need to start fascia training. Different degrees of hardness, surfaces and shapes allow for the greatest possible flexibility during training. This also guarantees that you will find exactly the product that suits you and your requirements. In addition to fascia rollers for standard use in various degrees of hardness and with different surfaces, you can also find fascia balls at K-Active that are suitable for selective training of your body.